Countryfile Lover

Love was in the air when the BBC’s Countryfile visited Lover in Wiltshire to find out more about the small village as part of an episode being filmed for St Valentine’s Day.

The Village, which actually pronounces its name to rhyme with Dover, is currently decorated with hearts in support of the pop-up Lover Post Office, which sends out Valentine’s Day letters across the world stamped appropriately with a ‘Lover’ postmark.

Associate Priest of St Mary’s Lover, Revd Veronica Batchelor, who along with other members of the community had helped the Programme’s Researcher and Director in the weeks before the filming took place, was rewarded with an on-screen appearance alongside Countryfile’s most famous presenter. She says:“John Craven came to the village and there was a whole day of filming. The main item was the Valentine Post Office and they filmed lots of different aspects in the village. Country cottages, the children in the village pre-school, people decorating their gardens and hedges with hearts and couple's romantic stories.

“The outside of the church was filmed as John Craven walked along the lane, whilst I was asked to be outside talking to one of the villagers, complete with red rose and a heart as John Craven introduced the loving village of Lover, the idyllic rural parish.

“When Lover still had a Post Office, it was a popular place to send valentine cards from as the post office had its famous 'Lover' stamp and in years past there would be queues of people as they waited to post their card.

Like many villages, Lover has seen its post office close as well as its shop, pub and primary school. However, a few years ago the community purchased 'The Old School' building and for the past few years at the beginning of February it has become the Valentine Post Office. Cards can be posted from the post office, with each envelope having the famous 'Lover' stamp. People can choose to send a card of their own or they can order one of the 'Lover' post office designs online which will then be sent to the address of their choosing, complete with the 'Lover' cache stamp.

“We did invite them to film in the church and had a band of willing volunteers to fill the church but as their focus was on the romantic love and the post office this was not part of their requirements. So other than a greeting to John Craven there was little opportunity for parishioners to been seen on camera at the church, although I understand they spent a lot of time in the Post Office that afternoon!”